Ryan Nishi was adopted by a family of two Angela and Ron Nishi on March 8, 2000, whom he now calls his mom and dad. As Nishi grew up, his parents told him that he was not their blood child, yet still their child. His parents tried there best to explain ethnicity and that what it means to be a family has less to do with genetics and more to do with choice. Their dialog at a young age helped Nishi navigate the questions strangers ask when they don’t know better. His understanding of what it means to be adopted helped keep conversations less awkward. “I love the way my parents told me I was adopted, I would for sure do the same,” Nishi said

Ryan Nishi was born Jung Tae Lee on December 1, 1999.  His birth mother was 16-years-old when she had him and his birth father was 18. Nishi’s birth father was not part of his life after he was born and his mother was financially unable to raise him, so she decided to put her son up for adoption.

When Nishi was younger, it was hard for him to understand his situation, he was constantly asked why his mom was Caucasian, his father was Japanese, and he was Korean. After years of genuinely being curious of his true nationality, he decided to take a DNA test. When the test came back, he found out that he was 50 percent Korean, 25 percent Native American, and 25 percent Spanish.

After going through this kind of experience with his own history of his adoption and how he was raised, Nishi said that if he was to adopt, he would make sure to be honest and keep clear communication with his child as his family did with him. Nishi said that hes always been open about being adopted, his parents are his family and they “raised me right.”